Mage of Pluto
by Burning Light
Summary: A multiple series crossover involving an alternate universe version of Ranma's history. Primary Crossover with Sailor Moon. Ranma will not be in a fuku.
1. Chapter 1

Mage of Pluto, Chapter One.  
A fanfic by Burning Light  
  
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Standard Disclaimer, in Haiku:  
  
Someone else owns this  
Blood-suckers should not sue me;  
I am a poor student.  
  
(Ah, it's beautiful, isn't it? Not only does it disclaim the story, it  
also points out that I'm a bad student that can't learn anyth... wait a  
minute! I didn't mean that! I meant I had no money! Oh, well... Freudian  
slip, I guess. )  
  
This is a multiple series crossover involving an alternate universe  
version of Ranma's history. Nearly everything past his 8th year will be  
changed; this means the arrival of Kuno, Akane, or the rest of the  
Nerima crew is unlikely. There is a chance that Shampoo will appear, and  
Ukyo, Ryoga, and Ranma's curse will definitely be figured in somehow.  
  
--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--  
  
Dawn broke over Tokyo, Juuban Ward.  
  
Dawn broke, birds cheerfully greeting the rising sun, lights coming on  
in houses as people everywhere slowly woke up to begin preparations for  
the following day. The preparations of a particular family are of more  
importance than those of other people going through their morning  
routines. For this family, morning would be anything but routine.  
  
Dawn broke as Genma Saotome stealthily prepared to take his child on  
what would be a most fateful training trip. Genma was convinced that his  
wife's coddling of the child would result in nothing but weakness, and  
since young Ranma was to be his heir someday, he took it upon himself to  
see that the child be the best martial artist ever. If he had to leave  
his wife to do it, then so be it. He would miss her, of course, and his  
comfortable life of home cooked meals and a roof to sleep under, but the  
boy was more important.  
  
Dawn broke, and so did Nodoka Saotome's patience. She knew exactly what  
her husband was planning; his behavior had been leading up to it the  
past week, and it seemed as if nothing could stop him. She was willing  
to allow her son to be taken on a short training trip with his father,  
but what Genma had proposed the night before seemed to be something  
quite a bit longer. Stepping out of the shadows towards her husband,  
honor blade sheathed but ready, she let her disapproval be known. "Just  
what do you think you are doing, Husband?"  
  
Genma slowly turned from packing a large traveling pack, guiltily  
attempting to hide the wicker traveling cradle and the sleeping child  
within it. "No-nothing, Nodoka" he started, before noticing the family  
honor blade his wife was carrying. "Just preparing to take the boy on a  
training trip"  
  
"And when would you be planning on coming back?" The steel in her voice  
made Genma completely forget about whatever half-formed plans he had  
made earlier, concerning seppuku promises and men-among-men.  
  
"W-when the boy is fully trained in the art, dear." This vague  
statement, meant as both appeasement and explanation, seemed to only  
further enrage Nodoka. Looking at his wife's face, Genma lost almost all  
hope of being able to train his child to be a true master of the art.  
  
"That is not good enough. I will not allow you to take our child away  
for god knows how long." Her hands twitched, moving slightly towards the  
blade at her side, before she continued with a sigh. "I don't think I  
can do anything to prevent you from taking him, as determined as you are  
to go through with this."  
  
A look of relief passed across Genma's face. "Then you will let me do  
this?" Perhaps he had a chance of training the boy, after all.  
  
"Yes, on one condition." Nodoka's tone offered no room for argument.  
"You bring Ranma back home every other month. That should leave you with  
six months a year for training journeys; the rest of the year you will  
just have to train him at home." Upon seeing the downtrodden look on her  
husband's face, Nodoka kindly added "You can take him on longer trips,  
of course, but you will have to arrange it with me."  
  
Genma frowned. This limited his options for training the boy, but it was  
better than nothing, and there was always the possibility of longer  
trips, with or without his wife's permission.  
  
Almost reading as if she had read his thoughts, Nodoka added "Don't  
think of leaving at all without my permission, Genma. I will hunt you to  
the ends of the earth and personally make sure that such a dishonorable  
act would not go unpunished."  
  
Falling into submission at the threat, Genma's only reply was a simple  
"Y-Yes, Dearest."  
  
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Tokyo, Juuban Ward, four months and several years later.  
  
"How are you going to explain this one, old man?" An angry and  
thoroughly wet ten year old girl growled to an equally wet black and  
white panda.  
  
"Growf" the panda responded, before pulling out a wooden sign and  
writing on it. "We're not going home just yet, boy!" Obviously the  
thought of his wife's wrath was just a bit too much for this panda.  
  
"Oh, sure pops, that will go over well." The ten year-old's face  
darkened. "You remember when you tried to teach me the Neko-ken? I ran  
all the way home from that pit, mind and clothing in shreds, and when  
mom saw the way I was acting..."  
  
The girl then lowered her voice, doing a rough but accurate imitation of  
her father. "De-dearest, puh-please, put that ka-ka-katana away. It was  
all in the boy's best interests."  
  
Shifting her voice several octaves higher, she continued, knocking her  
fists on the occasional object for effect. "Genma, Don't *whack* you  
*bang* ever, *crunch* ever, *whack* do that *clang* again."  
  
At this point she was unable to withhold the laughter she had been  
struggling against. Turning back to see her blushing father, she calmed  
herself enough to add "I didn't know panda's could turn that shade, old  
man. What's the matter, embarrassed?"  
  
The brief scuffle that followed was just one of a million previous,  
hardly worth noting. At its conclusion Genma scribbled another sign.  
"Perhaps we should see your mother after all. Wouldn't do to have here  
worry about us, right boy?"  
  
"Right..." the boy-turned-girl drawled sarcastically, before heading off  
towards their family apartment.  
  
Ranma and his father walked on in silence for some time, both with much  
to think over.  
  
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Nodoka sat in her living room, nervously fiddling with her sheathed  
katana. She was pretty sure she had reason to worry. She just knew she  
shouldn't have let her good for nothing husband take Ranma on an  
extended training trip; the last three were evidence enough that Genma  
did not act as a responsible adult when given too much leeway, each one  
had left Ranma with serious problems.  
  
She let Genma talk her into a longer training trip just months after she  
first confronted the man over attempting to take her child away. The  
result of that mistake had been readily apparent when Genma brought the  
child home. Ranma had been cut, bruised, and driven into a cat-like  
state that her husband claimed was caused when the boy accidentally fell  
into a pit of starving cats, and would have died if not for his heroic  
efforts. When it was later revealed that Genma had thrown Ranma into the  
pit, not once but several times, Nodoka had laid into her husband with a  
vengeance. She was now quite proud to say that her husband never lied to  
her again. Ever.  
  
A part of Nodoka relized that neither of the other two times Genma had  
gone off for extended training had turned out quite as bad, but it was  
close. Yes, she remembered how Genma had arrived at her door, battered  
Ranma in hand, a second time...  
  
The doorbell rang, startling Nodoka out of her reminisces. With a leap  
that was half excitement and half worry, she had reached the entryway  
and flung open the door in a flash. What she saw was an interesting  
sight.  
  
"Ranma, Where is your father? And why in the world did you dye your hair  
red?" Nodoka looked at her soon questioningly.  
  
Ranma glanced up at his mother sheepishly before answering. "It's not  
dyed, mom... you remember how dad was planning to go to china?"  
  
"Yes..." Nodoka trailed off, not entirely sure of where this was  
leading, but convinced she wouldn't like it.  
  
Ranma fidgeted a bit before finishing. "We got cursed."  
  
"What else changed?" Nodoka took a closer look at her son when he  
started blushing a furious red, and something out of the normal caught  
her attention. "Are those... breasts?"  
  
Ranma only nodded hesitantly.  
  
Nodoka was obviously in shock, her eyes glazed over slightly; it was  
obviously taking all her effort just to keep a semblance of calm. "Is  
your father like this too?"  
  
"No mom, he's-"  
  
"Growf" Ranma was cut off by his father.  
  
Nodoka stared up at the seven foot tall panda that had appeared in the  
doorway. Nodding weakly, she let her eyes roll up into the back of her  
head, vaguely hoping that someone would catch her before she hit the  
floor.  
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Ranma let out a soft sigh after catching her mother. "I told you to wait  
until I finished explaining, pops. Now look at what you've done."  
  
Genma frowned at his boy while scribbling a quick sign. "Just let me get  
some hot water, boy, then we'll wake her up and explain."  
  
"You better not be thinking of running off, old man. I don't think mom  
would be too happy about that." Ranma said, not in the least enjoying  
the look that her father had been wearing.  
  
Pulling out another sign while scratching the back of his head, Genma's  
only response was a simple "A-heh heh heh. You know I wasn't thinking  
about that, boy." Genma quickly left for the kitchen before his son  
could say anything more.  
  
A few minutes later a now-human Genma arrived again, bringing back hot  
water for Ranma. Ranma quietly accepted it, pouring it over his head,  
before speaking to his father. "Quiet, dad. I think she's waking up."  
  
No more than a second later Nodoka drowsily got up, looking to her son.  
"I'm glad you're home, Ranma. I was so worried for you that I had the  
strangest dream. Your father was a panda, and you..." The expression on  
Ranma's face gave Nodoka reason to pause.  
  
"Well, about that, mother... You see..." Ranma began worriedly.  
  
"What the boy means to say, dear, is..." Genma interjected, trying to  
think of a way to explain the problem without getting grievously  
injured.  
  
"It wasn't a dream" Ranma stated with some degree of finality.  
  
"I see... excuse us for a while, Ranma. Your father and I have some  
things to talk about, isn't that right, honey?" The tone Nodoka used  
promised much pain if Genma so much as thought of disagreeing.  
  
"Ah, yes boy, be sure to be back-" Genma began, hoping to shorten the  
length of his punishment.  
  
"Before dinner. Genma and I have much to discuss." Nodoka smiled  
slightly at the look of discomfort on her husband's face.  
  
Genma blanched. "B-but dearest, w-we just had breakfast. Dinner isn't  
for another nine hours." His brain went into overdrive, trying to think  
of something that would shorten his punishment. "What will Ranma eat for  
lunch? He is a growing boy, you know."  
  
Nodoka handed Ranma some money for lunch before turning to Genma once  
more. "Yes, about that... thanks to you, our son is also a growing young  
lady. What do you have to say for yourself, Genma?"  
  
Ranma snuck out quietly, not wanting to hear anymore of this  
conversation. He was glad his father would be getting what he deserved,  
but that didn't mean he had to watch.  
  
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"So you want me to what?" Sailor Pluto felt a headache coming on. This  
could be attributed both to the woman standing in front of her, and the  
ripples within time that that woman was causing. Of course, there had to  
be a good reason for this visit, after all, the woman in front of her  
was, for lack of a better phrase, her.  
  
"I need you to visit this park in half an hour." Her future self pointed  
to a scene, a knowing smirk hiding just behind the mask of indifference  
she normally wore.  
  
"And you're not going to tell me anything more? No 'this is the next  
threat' or 'rescue so-and-so from certain death'-just 'go here'?" She  
asked her self. The question was pointless, of course; even if more  
information would not have caused several time paradoxes, she understood  
that it was important to let people forge their own destinies... even if  
that person was herself. Besides, she knew her older self got too much  
of a kick from knowing something no-one else did.  
  
"Of course not. Have fun at the park." With that said, Setsuna's future  
self traveled back to her own time.  
  
"That woman just frustrates me so much, sometimes" The fact that she was  
talking about herself seemed to have slipped Setsuna's mind for the  
moment.  
  
"What IS so important about that park, anyways?" Setsuna asked herself  
while stepping closer to the gates of time.  
  
Reactivating the gates and focusing on the point displayed by her future  
self, Setsuna saw nothing to distinguish this from any other day. That  
did not necessarily mean nothing would happen. Contrary to popular  
belief among the senshi, she could not see all of the future. The time  
gate's ability to show events to come was rather limited; she received  
glimpses of most things that would have a large affect on the time  
stream, and was capable of predicting the actions of large masses of  
people quite easily, but when it came to dealing with individuals,  
things became much more difficult.  
  
"Well, at least there doesn't seem to be any threat there..." Setsuna  
mused to herself. "That means there isn't any real reason to alert the  
other senshi. The park is relatively close to my apartment...." Changing  
the time gates scene to show the inside of her apartment, Setsuna  
brought herself home again.  
  
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Setsuna was getting irritated. She had been waiting in this park for  
over 20 minutes, and nothing much had happened. Sitting on a bench  
waiting for something unusual to happen was right up there on her list  
of least favorite things to do, closely followed by watching grass grow  
or paint dry. She was almost tempted to transform into senshi form just  
to end the waiting, hopefully flushing out any possible enemies.  
'Almost' is the operative word in that sentence; she understood that no  
matter how tired of waiting she might be, transforming into senshi form  
would be inexcusable.  
  
Still, that didn't mean she had to sit here and wait for whatever might  
happen to happen.  
  
She was tired of waiting, and therefore came up with a solution; if the  
problem wouldn't come to her, she would go to the problem. Chatting with  
the people here would be a good way to waste time, and she would be able  
to sense if she were near any evil presence. That decided, she still had  
to pick a target, someone who would be interesting to talk with who also  
seemed suspicious. That last bit limited her choices greatly; the only  
suspicious looking person in the entire park was an elderly transient  
who seemed entirely harmless, even if his eyes did shift from place to  
place as if he was wary of something.  
Still, he was better than sitting here waiting.  
  
Starting off towards the elderly man, Setsuna's gaze drifted briefly  
onto a red-headed little girl. There was something about this girl that  
seemed vaguely familiar, and something else about her that seemed out of  
place; the out of place feeling was most likely nothing more than that  
this girl had not been highly visible when Setsuna had viewed the park  
through the time gates, but the sense of familiarity seemed somehow to  
run deeper than what one would get from a mere acquaintance. The fact  
that the red-head was dripping wet and grumbling under her breath only  
gave Setsuna an excuse to talk to her.  
  
Prior decisions forgotten, Setsuna walked towards the girl, preparing to  
help her.  
  
"Here, take this." Setsuna offered a handkerchief to the girl. "What  
happened?"  
  
"I fell in." she gestured towards the nearby lake. "It wouldn't have  
happened if I was paying attention... stupid rock. Stupid panda." Ranma  
grumbled under her breath.  
  
"Want to talk about it?" Setsuna asked.  
  
"Only if you tell me what was bugging you so much when you were over  
there" Ranma pointed towards where Setsuna had been sitting earlier.  
  
"Sounds fair to me. I had an appointment with someone, but it seems as  
if they forgot. They were supposed to be here twenty minutes ago."  
  
"A date?" Ranma asked, idly wondering why the idea filled her with such  
jealousy.  
  
"N-no, nothing like that." Setsuna responded, an unwanted blush  
crossing her face. "Just a business meeting." A smile crossed her face.  
"Now you have to tell me what had you so occupied that you fell into a  
lake."  
  
"Well..." Ranma stalled, trying to think of a way to explain things  
without involving his curse.  
"My father has been training me in martial arts on and off since I could  
walk. Mom allows it, letting me take time off to go on training trips  
whenever schools out, but she's never really liked letting Dad take me  
on long trips alone; the last two times, I ended up pretty hurt." She  
glanced at Setsuna's disaproving expression, adding "Oh, never too bad;  
Pops is usually careful. This last time, however..."  
  
"What happened?" Setsuna asked, once it became apparent that Ranma  
wasn't going to answer.  
  
"Pop did something really stupid... I'm not really comfortable talking  
about it, but..." Ranma trailed off at this. Come to think of it, she  
normally wasn't even comfortable saying this much about her family to a  
stranger. There was something about this woman, though, that made her  
feel at ease. "All I'm going to say is that involves ancient curses and  
strange Chinese customs... Anyways, Mother's at home now beating the  
stuffing out of Dad, and so I'm left alone until dinner."  
  
"I just wish dad wasn't so stupid, sometimes. If it wasn't for him, I  
wouldn't have learned the art, but he's caused a whole lot of trouble in  
my life..." Ranma let out a sigh of frustration.  
  
Setsuna blinked. Chinese curses? Did he mean that literally, or just  
figuratively? "That bad?"  
There wasn't much she could do to help, but she found herself liking  
this young girl. "I'm sure things will turn out better, eventually."  
  
"I guess so." Ranma quietly responded.  
  
They sat together in companiable silence for awhile, watching the lunch  
crowd leave. It was awhile before Setsuna realized that she would need  
to be leaving if she hoped to make it back to her office on time.  
  
"I have to be going now..." Setsuna smiled down at the girl, waiting for  
her to speak her name.  
  
"Ranma Saotome." Ranma grinned back. "It was nice meeting you, miss..."  
  
"Setsuna Meioh; It was good to meet you too, Ranma." There really wasn't  
much she could do to help, but something about the girl made her want to  
try. "If you need help with something, or just someone to talk to, feel  
free to ask. I've got a medical practice set up in downtown Juuban; you  
can probably reach me there."  
  
Ranma waved goodbye as Setsuna walked off, her spirits lifted by the  
short conversation with the older girl.  
--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--  
Having changed back to his male form on the way back, Ranma prepared to  
enter the house. His short chat with Setsuna had not only lifted his  
spirits, but also given him someone he could talk to.  
  
"I'm home!" A smiling Ranma called towards his parents. It was just a  
little before six, and from the smells drifting from the kitchen, Ranma  
was fairly sure dinner would be ready soon.  
  
"Ranma, could you help your father to a chair? Dinner will be done in a  
minute." Nodoka's voice drifted out from the kitchen.  
  
"Sure thing, mom" Ranma replied.  
  
A smile lit his face as he turned to his father. "W-what happened to  
you, pop?"  
  
The bruised and beaten panda laboriously wrote a sign, wincing  
occasionally. "Nodoka... wasn't happy."  
  
Ranma's smile soon turned to all-out laughter as he read the sign. "I-I  
can s-see that." He gasped between each laugh. "L-let me help y-you to  
dinner, pop."  
  
"I-I think I'll stay here and rest for awhile, boy" Genma weakly  
scribbled.  
  
"No, I insist." Ranma giggled cheerfully, stepping towards his father,  
smirking the whole time.  
  
Genma looked towards his son with a look of utter terror on his face. As  
his son dragged him off towards the table, Genma busily voiced his  
complaints on a wooden sign. "N-no boy, don't move *ouch* me. *argh* No,  
boy, *oof* not the leg! Enough already! *ouch* What did I do *owie* to  
deserve such a *argh* spiteful son?" Genma let out a groan as he was  
sat before a mat in front of the table.  
  
Nodoka walked into the room, setting the meal she had prepared down on  
the table. "Your curse will take some... getting used to, but I am glad  
that you are back, Ranma."  
  
"I'm glad to be back too, mom. The food looks great."  
  
A smile on her face, Nodoka took her place at the table. "Thank you,  
Ranma." She turned to her husband with a wicked gleam in her eyes. "No  
animals at the table, dear; I'm afraid you'll have to change."  
  
Weakly pulling out another sign, Genma turned his pleading eyes to his  
wife. "But Dearest, please..."  
  
"Change now," Nodoka's tone of voice had turned as hard as cold steel.  
"Or you will not be eating with us."  
  
"Yes, Dearest." Genma groaned as he slowly used his claws to drag  
himself towards the kitchen.  
  
A pleased Nodoka turned to her son. "How was your day, Ranma?"  
  
"It was pretty good. I made a friend at the park." Ranma smiled at the  
memory of Setsuna.  
  
"Oh really... Someone your age?" Ranma's mother questioned.  
  
"Oh, no, she's a doctor. Said I could go talk to her anytime." Ranma  
replied.  
  
"A doctor... That's nice." Nodoka smiled at her son. He was friends with  
an older woman? How manly.  
  
"Yeah..." Ranma trailed off, thinking again of Setsuna. Ranma sighed,  
before noticing the knowing look his mother was giving him. A slight  
blush crept over his face. "It was pretty boring besides that, though."  
He stated, determined to change the topic.  
  
"You'll be starting junior high in a week, and we'll need to buy new  
uniforms and supplies for you, so it won't be boring for much longer."  
Nodoka gently accepted her son's change of topic.  
  
"That's good. I haven't studied in awhile, and I need a break from all  
that training Pops has been giving me." Ranma answered, still eating his  
meal.  
  
A bruised, battered, and currently human Genma slowly pulled himself  
into the room, all the while thinking over the small bit of information  
he had overheard. The boy had a lot to learn about the art, and could  
have no distractions if he was ever going to be a true master. A friend,  
or worse, a woman friend, would be nothing but trouble. This had to be  
stopped.  
  
--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--  
End Chapter 1, posted Sunday, May 12, 2002 @ 7:05 PST 


	2. Chapter 2

Mage of Pluto, Chapter Two  
A fanfic by Burning Light  
  
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Standard Disclaimer, Ranma Version.  
  
Ranma Saotome belongs to me. I bought him from some unscrupulous man for  
two pickles and a bowl of rice. The man said his name was Genma Saotome,  
and he even gave me a book detailing his son's exploits. It's a nice  
little book, with more pictures than words, and is very detailed. I  
wonder why the book said it was created by someone named Rumiko  
Takahashi, when Genma said he himself wrote it... I guess its just some  
sort of pen name.  
  
So Rumiko Takahashi is really Genma Saotome. And that means that Ranma  
is MINE!  
  
This is a detailed account of Ranma's history. I tried to get Ranma to  
write it himself, but his grammar was so bad I had to write it back from  
scratch. I made up a lot of parts, too, but he said he didn't mind. He  
was planning on going back in time and doing the stuff I made him do,  
anyways.  
  
--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--  
  
The morning sun rose over the Juuban ward of Tokyo, bringing with it all  
the sounds and signs of an awakening city. Lights came on, birds  
chirped, and all was well with the world. Activity quickly filled the  
houses, as most of the city's early risers began going about their work.  
In one particular house, belonging to the Saotome family, the sounds and  
smell of a mother busy in the kitchen quickly became just enough to  
attract the attention of a hungry young boy.  
  
"Good Morning!" Ranma cheerfully called to his mother. "When's breakfast  
ready?"  
  
"Just a little more time and I'll bring it out." Nodoka's voice sounded  
from the kitchen. "Why don't you get your lazy father out of bed? If he  
won't wake up, tell him that if he's late to work he'll get no dinner."  
  
"Sure thing, Mom." Ranma yelled, already on his way up the stairs to his  
parent's bedroom.  
  
Throwing open the door to his parents' room, Ranma rushed towards the  
sleeping form of his father. "Time to wake up, Pops." He whispered into  
his dad's ear.  
  
"Nnwnng" Genma grumbled softly, pulling the blankets closer to him.  
  
"Get up, Pops. Breakfast is almost ready." Ranma said, a bit louder.  
  
Genma's replied with a slightly interested "Brkkist?", only to roll back  
over and continue to snore.  
  
"For god's sake, Pops, Get up now. You're gonna be late for work." Ranma  
yelled at his father, frustrated. Genma's total lack of reaction was  
somehow unsurprising. "If you're late to work than mom says you don't  
get any dinner." Ranma used the one method he knew would wake his father  
up.  
  
This last phrase caused a reaction in his father; with a blur he hopped  
out of bed, grabbed some clothes, and rushed into the bathroom. A minute  
seconds later, the sound of the shower running could be heard.  
  
It was only ten seconds afterwards that a shout of "Stupid Pajamas!"  
rang out through the house.  
  
"Forgot to get out of your pajamas, Pops?" Ranma giggled at his father.  
  
"Shuddup, boy. Go tell your mother I'll be ready in a minute." Genma  
grumbled from behind the closed door of the bathroom.  
  
"Sure, Pop, Just try not to put your shirt on backwards this time..."  
Ranma replied, laughing the whole way downstairs. Arriving at the table  
he saw his mother, already kneeling at the table, ready to eat.  
  
Nodoka smiled at here son, motioning for him to have a seat. "Is your  
father ready, Ranma?" She questioned.  
  
"He said he'd be ready in a minute, Mom." Ranma answered, a smile  
brightening his face as he added "He showered in his pajamas again."  
  
"Quiet, boy," Genma called from the staircase, dressed in a loose white  
shirt and black exercise pants. "Just because I was slightly forgetful  
in my hurry to provide for my family is no reason to tease me."  
  
"Provide for your stomach is more like it, pops." The smile on Ranma's  
face took most of the edge off of his statement.  
  
"That may be true, boy, but it's still no excuse." Despite his words,  
however, Genma was grinning back.  
  
"It's good that you're in such a hurry to provide for us, husband,"  
Nodoka began, while passing a plate to Genma. "Because you have about  
five minutes to eat before you need to leave for work."  
  
"Oh well," Genma sighed at the thought of all the good food he would  
have to leave behind. "I'll be back at five, dear." He said, gobbling  
down all that was on his plate and rushing towards the door.  
  
"You forgot you lunch again, dear." Nodoka said, just as Genma was  
walking out the door.  
  
Nodoka's reminder caused Genma to rush back inside and grab the lunch  
she made for him, calling out a grateful "Thanks, Dearest!" before  
rushing off to work again.  
  
Once Genma left, Nodoka turned to her son, a grin on her face. "The mall  
will be open soon," She stated, letting just a little bit of her  
excitement creep into her words. "Are you ready to go, Ranma?"  
  
"Sure thing, Mom. Let me just finish this." Ranma motioned towards the  
last grains of rice that remained of his breakfast.  
  
"Alright, son." Nodoka smiled gently, a single thought passing through  
her head.  
  
Today was going to be a good day.  
  
--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--  
  
Standing among the rows of uniforms, each exactly the same as the other,  
Ranma Saotome was not having fun. "Aw, mom, what's wrong with the  
clothes I have?" Ranma questioned.  
  
"We've been over this before, Ranma" Nodoka let a small sigh of  
frustration escape. "The clothes you have are fine to play in, but you  
have to have a uniform for while you're at school."  
  
"I know that... but these all look the same. I don't even get to choose  
the color." Ranma let a slight hint of disgust enter his voice. "And  
what if I, you know, change? What happens when a girl shows up in a  
boy's uniform?"  
  
"You don't look that different from a boy for that to really matter,  
Ranma. If it bothers you so much, I'm sure we'll think of something."  
Nodoka smiled towards her son.  
  
"Having trouble picking uniforms?" A cheerful blonde saleslady asked as  
she appeared beside the two.  
  
"Something like that." Nodoka answered the saleswoman.  
  
"I understand; my cousin Akio is the same way." She bowed slightly  
towards Nodoka. "I'm Gina. Which school is your son going to?"  
  
"Juuban Elementary School." Nodoka answered.  
  
"Ah. Their outfits are over here." Gina motioned towards a row of boy's  
uniforms, consisting of black pants, black button up shirts, and jackets  
for the winter. "The silver trim is for Juuban Elementary, while the  
white trim is for Shimura Elementary."  
  
"Thank you." Nodoka went through a few, before picking out some that  
appeared to be Ranma's size. "Why don't you try these on, Ranma?"  
  
"Fine, mom." Ranma answered in a resigned voice, while walking off  
towards the changing room.  
  
"So, is he returning to school, or did he just transfer into Juuban"  
Gina asked, smiling.  
  
"He transferred. I've been teaching him a lot at home, and his father's  
been teaching him martial arts, but the last school he went to was a  
little too chaotic of an environment for him." Nodoka gazed towards  
where Ranma had gone to. "I hope he makes some new friends."  
  
"He seems like a bright enough boy; I'm sure he will." Gina reassured  
her customer.  
  
"How do I look?" Ranma wandered out of the changing room, a smile on his  
face. "This isn't as bad as I thought it would be."  
  
"You look ready for school already. Now all we need to do is buy you a  
schoolbag." Nodoka smiled towards her son. "You go and change back into  
your clothes, I'll pay for this."  
  
--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--  
  
"We've got your uniform, schoolbag, and your materials." Nodoka took  
stock of their bags, before turning to her son with a smile. "I think  
its time for a break, don't you?"  
  
"Yeah! All this shopping was getting boring." Ranma's slightly bored  
expression quickly regained its usual cheerfulness. "What are we gonna  
do?"  
  
"I was thinking of something like, oh... I don't know..." Nodoka  
pretended to ponder for a moment. "Ice-cream? There is that shop right  
around the corner..." She phrased it as a question, even though she  
already knew the answer.  
  
"Ice-cream sounds great to me!" Ranma cheerfully affirmed, making his  
way towards the corner as quickly as possible.  
  
"Wait up, Ranma. The ice cream isn't going to run away before we get  
there, is it?" Nodoka gently questioned her son.  
  
"Of course not, but someone might eat it all!" Ranma replied, a smile on  
his face as he considered doing just that.  
  
"We better hurry then. We wouldn't want someone to get there before us,  
now would we?" Nodoka grinned hurrying to catch up with her son.  
  
Ranma turned the corner, smiling. Nodoka's answering smile turned to a  
frown at the sound of water splashing against something.  
  
She turned the corner, to see her wet and highly irritated son... now  
her daughter. A wet mop was lying on the ground, right next to an empty  
water bucket.  
  
"Come on, Ranma," Nodoka sighed. "Let's get some ice cream, you can  
change back when we get home."  
  
--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--  
  
"But... Mamoru, Please? Pretty Please?" Usagi begged her boyfriend.  
"It's only a block away! Please?"  
  
Mamoru would have liked nothing more than to accept, but there was one  
small problem. "I'm sorry, Usagi, but I can't afford another trip to the  
ice cream store right now. We'll have to come back some other time." He  
answered, trying to sound as firm as possible.  
  
"Just one bowl... pretty please? With a cherry on top?" Usagi pleaded,  
her eyes shining with hunger. "I haven't had any ice cream all week!"  
  
Mamoru checked his wallet, coming up with just enough yen to pay for two  
small ice creams. "Alright, but only one, and it will have to be small."  
  
  
"Hurray!!!" Usagi shouted as she raced around the corner, a smile on her  
face.  
  
To Mamoru, the smile that lit up his girlfriend's face made it all worth  
it. He found himself smiling in return. Walking faster to catch up with  
her, he addressed no one in particular. "I swear, Usagi, for a sixteen  
year old you can be such a kid at times."  
  
He stepped into the shop, walking to the place Usagi already had at the  
front of the line. The shop was fairly empty, with only two other people  
inside; a middle aged woman with red hair, and what appeared to be her  
daughter. Not surprising, considering that it was about the time people  
had lunch, not ice cream.  
  
The kind looking man behind the counter motioned for Mamoru to step up  
to the counter. "Ah, it's good to see some of my regulars are coming  
back, after the rebuilding; I was worried that the youma attack might  
have scared you all off."  
  
"Don't worry, Juichi," Mamoru laughed, placing an elbow on the counter.  
"It'll take more than just a youma to scare us off."  
  
Juichi smiled. "I'm glad to hear it. So what'll it be, Mamoru?"  
  
Mamoru grinned. "I'll have a small chocolate crunch, and..." His voice  
trailed off, waiting for Usagi to finish the order. He didn't have to  
wait long.  
  
"I'll have a small bowl of adzuki ice cream." Usagi finished her  
boyfriend's sentence, practically drooling in anticipation.  
  
"Here you go." Juichi smiled, scooping the orders into two small bowls  
and handing them to his customers. Noticing Usagi's expression, he added  
"It's good to know that all my hard work making this stuff is  
appreciated." He smiled as he watched them head off to a table, before  
going back to waiting to help his next customer.  
  
--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--  
Nodoka was eavesdropping. She couldn't really help it; the ones she was  
listening to were sitting at the next table over, and Ranma was too busy  
with his ice cream to talk.  
  
"Mamoru, thanks for buying me ice cream. It's been awhile."  
  
"Anytime, Usagi. I just wish I had a little more cash to spend on things  
like this."  
  
They seemed like such a cute couple, but... the girl was fairly young.  
And no matter how much Nodoka may have believed in manliness, she also  
knew that assuming things could lead to embarrassing situations. She  
didn't want a repeat of the incident with that Nanami girl... even if  
she and her brother had seemed like a couple at first glance.  
  
Nodoka smiled, her curiosity getting the better of her. She had to know,  
and there was only one way to find out, right? "It's so good to see a  
young man like you being nice to his sister." Judging by the girl's  
reaction, perhaps her first assumption had been correct.  
  
"Oh, Mamo-chan isn't my brother, he's---"  
  
"Adopted." Mamoru cut his girlfriend off, knowing the most likely  
reaction to what Usagi was about to say. His response wasn't even  
entirely a lie. "But that doesn't really matter, does it?"  
  
Nodoka smiled the smile of a woman who loves to meddle. Perhaps they  
were brother and sister, but they did make such a cute couple, and he  
was adopted, so... maybe while Ranma was in school she could visit with  
them. She did love playing matchmaker. "I'm Nodoka Saotome; Ranma and I  
just stopped buy to rest after some shopping."  
  
"Shopping?" Usagi's eyes lit up. "Maybe I could talk Mamoru into taking  
me later..." She speculated to herself, before remembering Nodoka's  
presence. "I'm Usagi Tsukino, by the way."  
  
Mamoru grinned. "Mamoru Chiba, at your service. Usagi and I used to come  
here for ice-cream almost religiously, but we haven't visited since the  
last youma."  
  
"Youma attacked the shopping mall too, you know! We should visit there  
next; we have to show our community support!" Usagi tried to cajole her  
'brother' into taking her.  
  
Mamoru turned towards his 'sister'. "You know I would if I could, Usagi,  
but..." He trailed off, wanting to change the topic to something that  
might be somewhat less expensive. "Is your daughter is starting school  
soon...?" Mamoru asked.  
  
Ranma looked slightly angered at being called a girl, but answered. "I  
start at Juuban Elementary tomorrow; Room 1-C."  
  
"That's with Shimura-sensei, right?" Usagi asked Ranma.  
  
Ranma's curiosity was aroused. "Yeah, that's the one. How did you know?"  
  
"That's the same class my younger brother is in!" Her excitement toned  
down a bit as she remembered something. "You better keep an eye on him;  
Shingo's a good kid, but he can be a real brat sometimes."  
  
"I'm sure he and Ranma will get along just fine; Ranma always has been  
good at making friends."  
  
"You're probably right, Mrs. Saotome." Mamoru affirmed. "Usagi is only  
saying that because he left a frog in her bedroom yesterday."  
  
"Well, he did on purpose, I'm sure of it!" Usagi indignantly defended  
her earlier statement.  
  
"That doesn't sound very nice of him, but still, boys will be boys."  
Nodoka smiled.  
  
Mamoru glanced at his watch, surprised at the time, before turning to  
Nodoka. "We'll, we've got to be going now. It was nice meeting you, Mrs.  
Saotome."  
  
"It was nice meeting you too, dears." Nodoka bid Mamoru and Usagi  
farewell, before turning to Ranma. "It's about time we were leaving,  
too." She gestured to her nearly empty ice cream bowl. "I just need to  
finish this."  
  
"Say Hi to Shingo if you get a chance to, tomorrow." Usagi called back  
as she left the building.  
  
"Thanks, Usagi, I will!"  
  
--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--  
  
Genma left work as soon as the bell rang, already eager to get to the  
meeting place. He walked straight to the subway station, and after a  
quick purchase, had a ticket to Nerima ward. When it arrived, the train  
was already packed with commuters, but the trip would be mercifully  
short.  
  
One stop later, he disembarked, leaving the station and heading towards  
the 'The Black Dragon' the bar that he and Tendo had agreed upon  
earlier. His old friend was already there, waiting.  
  
"I'm glad you're back, Saotome." Soun Tendo inquired, a smile on his  
face. "How was the trip?"  
  
"It complicated things a bit." Genma's answer was less than revealing.  
  
"Complicated? I hope you don't mean the plans to unite the schools." At  
his friend's grave nod, Soun continued. "Come inside, Genma. I'm sure  
it's nothing we can't work out." Guiding his somber friend inside, he  
added, "Besides, you look like you could use a drink or two."  
  
"Too true, Tendo, too true." Genma let himself be led to a table already  
set with glasses of sake.  
  
Soun took a seat across from his longtime friend, then asked, "What are  
these complications you were referring to?"  
  
"Well," Genma began, before he was interrupted by an approaching  
waitress. He scowled at her, before remembering that she was the one  
that would be bringing the sake.  
  
"What can I get you two gentlemen?" The waitress asked, seemingly bored  
with her job.  
  
"A bottle of Futsuu-shu will be just fine, thank you." Soun answered.  
  
Genma quickly cut in. "Make that three bottles, will you? I see a long  
night ahead of us." He grimaced at the look his long time friend gave  
him. "Yes, Tendo, things are that bad. Three bottles will do nicely to  
start us off."  
  
The waitress left, only taking a minute to grab the needed bottles and  
return to the table. She was gone again before they had a chance to  
register her presence.  
  
"Well, for one, the boy..." Genma paused, trying to figure out how to  
phrase his next sentence. "The boy..."  
  
"Well, out with it, Saotome." Soun told his friend. "No use beating  
around the bush, if we want to find a solution." He firmly believed  
that they would find a solution... and a little sake could always help  
things, right?  
  
"The boy managed to get himself an admirer in China; an Amazon." Genma  
reached for a sake bottle and poured himself a glass.  
  
"So? She's in china, right?" Soun questioned, sipping from his own cup  
  
"And her Granny says she'll stay there... but... the way she was looking  
at Ranma didn't make her seem likely to give up." He grinned, drinking  
from his glass, before adding. "Besides, no one can resist the ol'  
Saotome Charm."  
  
"Saotome..." Soun growled, obviously not pleased with his friend's  
flippancy.  
  
"I'm kidding, Tendo, just kidding." Genma placated.  
  
"We'll, if she is just an admirer... it's not so bad. What could one  
little girl do on her own?" Soun asked Genma, a bemused smile on his  
face.  
  
The grave look Genma responded with showed that there was more to come.  
"I'd agree with you, Tendo, but this was the least of our problems."  
  
"There's more?"  
  
"Well, the boy has another suitor."  
  
"Another? Genma, you honorless..."  
  
"Now, now, Tendo. Don't blame me; It was the boy's fault." Genma quickly  
tried to calm his friend. "He told poor Ukyo he liked her more than her  
cooking... after that, she asked her dad for an engagement."  
  
"I don't like where this is going, Saotome."  
  
"When she and her father approached me with the offer of the dowry,  
well, I couldn't just tell the poor girl no, could I? It would have  
broken her heart, and ruined her self esteem... I had to give the kid at  
least a chance at happiness. So I told her we'd come back for her when  
Ranma was older."  
  
"And what happened to the dowry?"  
  
"Ranma and I had to eat somehow, didn't we? I sold it."  
  
"Well... it was kind of you to save that young girl from heartache. I'm  
sure Ranma and his wife can explain things to her, once she's older."  
  
"Tendo, you are brilliant. A toast?"  
  
"A toast!" Soun answered, pouring himself more sake at the same time.  
  
After drinking another round, Genma slowly stated, "There's one other  
problem."  
  
"Genma..." Soun growled. "another?"  
  
"Unfortunately, yes..." He trailed off, looking somewhat sheepish. "Have  
you ever heard of the Cursed Springs of Jusenkyo?"  
  
"The cursed springs of Jusenkyo?" Soun asked in all seriousness.  
  
"Ah, so you have heard of them!" Genma proclaimed triumphantly.  
  
"Nope, not a word." Soun pronounced solemnly; he was, by now, quite  
drunk.  
  
Genma laughed at this, and then clumsily began to form an explanation.  
"Well, they have these springs, see..." He paused to take a sip of his  
sake, before continuing. "And they turn you into things... if you fall  
in."  
  
"Did you fall in?" Soun questioned, beginning to wonder where this was  
going.  
  
"Oh, It's horrible, old friend;" Genma bemoaned his sorry fate. "I  
become a panda, and Ranma... becomes a girl."  
  
"I'm not that drunk, old friend." Soun deadpanned.  
  
"It's true, watch." And with that, Genma poured a glass of sake over his  
head, idly bemoaning the sacrifices he had to make for his art-and his  
future happiness, of course. He quickly became a panda.  
  
Soun accepted this change with the kind of calm that only the very drunk  
could manage.  
  
One hot cup of tea later...  
  
"It's only temporary?" Soun slurred. "Well, I have a sol-ution." He  
stumbled slightly over the word.  
  
"Whath?" Genma questioned.  
  
"We transfer 'Kane and 'Biki to Ran..." He took another glassful of sake  
to help him speak. "To Ran's school. They get to know Ranna better, and  
they decide which one gets Ranna..." Soun paused before continuing. "If  
they don't know about his curse, then..." He grinned a decidedly wicked  
grin, letting his statement hang, either out of drunkenness or for  
dramatic effect.  
  
"Good idea, Tendo. Theysh can't help but fall for Ranma." Genma was sure  
of this fact. After all, every other girl fell for Ranma, right? And he  
had taught the boy everything he knew...  
  
"A toast, to the future of our schools!" Soun proposed, reaching for a  
bottle.  
  
"A toast!" Genma grabbed a bottle and downed it in one gulp.  
  
--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--  
  
The lights inside the house were off. This was a good sign. Drawing upon  
all his skills as a thief, he stealthily moved towards the door. It was  
unlocked. Perhaps he would be able to make it inside unnoticed.  
Opening the door silently, he entered the house, hoping against hope  
that no one was awake.  
  
The lights came on. Nodoka was blocking the entrance, a bundle wrapped  
in cloth at her side.  
  
Genma knew just what was in that bundle. He sobered up. Fast.  
  
"So you've finally decided to come home, have you, Husband?" The harsh  
formality of her voice showed that anything he had done to appease her  
temper earlier was now forgotten. "Would you care to explain exactly  
where you were for the past 4 hours?"  
  
"I was at the Tendo's, dearest. You remember our good friends Soun and  
Kimiko, right?" Genma tried to placate his wife.  
  
"Don't you 'Dearest' me, Mr. Saotome. I know you were out drinking with  
Soun. Kimiko and I are good friends, after all." Nodoka smiled wryly.  
"She called while you were out, and told me exactly what you two were  
plotting."  
  
"S-she told you? But how could she know? Tendo and I have been..." He  
trailed off, already knowing he had spoken too much.  
  
"Been what, Husband?" She questioned, than answered for him. "Out  
drinking, planning for a marriage between our children?"  
  
"Y-yes. That's what we were doing."  
  
"Oh, Genma, How could you! To think, we've been married for 12 years,  
and you... you..." Her voice wavered, and tears came to her eyes. "You  
go off and plan a marriage for Ranma, and you..." Nodoka took a gulp of  
air, trying to calm herself. It didn't work. "You didn't even consider  
inviting me, did you?" She asked, her resigned tone revealing she  
already knew the answer.  
  
"I'm sorry, dearest. I didn't think you would be interested."  
  
"No you didn't, did you? It's not like you'd think my son's future  
actually meant something to me, would you?" Nodoka's sarcastic words  
were chilling.  
  
"Of course not, I mean, of course I'd think that... I mean..." Genma  
fumbled for the right answer.  
  
"Oh, will you just shut up. I don't care for your excuses, Genma." Her  
voice was suddenly weary, tired of having to deal with this. "The first  
time you hurt our child with your carelessness, I was really  
disappointed in you..." A sob escaped her lips, interrupting her, but  
still she continued. "Before than, I had been almost willing to let you  
take Ranma on a longer training trip; you both got along so well  
together, and I had been so sure that you could handle it." She looked  
at Genma, so much emotion expressed within her eyes.  
  
"I... I'm sorry." For what it mattered, he truly meant it.  
  
"I know. That's the only reason I let you continue training him...  
because I trusted you enough not to do it again, and..." Another sob  
escaped her, before she could finish. "And... and because I loved you."  
Her last comment was so quiet, almost unheard.  
  
But he did hear, and he was silent, not knowing what to say.  
  
"And then you come back, and you've managed to curse my little boy..."  
Cold steel slowly returns to her voice. "This is your last chance,  
Genma. You better not blow it." And with that, she turns her back on  
him, returning to her bedroom.  
  
And Genma is left alone.  
--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--  
Waves crashed against the side of the ship, threatening to capsize it at  
the first sign of weakness. Rain flooded the deck, making it slippery  
and unsafe. The storm was blowing hard, and it had no signs of stopping  
any time soon. Any clear thinking individual would be bellow decks,  
battening the hatches and praying to ride out the storm.  
  
Lightning flashed through the night, its brief shine illuminating the  
deck. The thunder that followed did nothing to relieve the fears of the  
shivering figure huddled in a darkened corner of the ship's cargo hold.  
  
"Airen..." A flash of illumination revealed the figure to be a cold,  
wet, and thoroughly miserable young girl.  
She grimaced, making an effort to change her language to the one her  
beloved spoke. "Shampoo coming for you, Airen." A sickly sounding cough  
followed this statement, before Shampoo mumbled feverishly to herself in  
her native Mandarin "You better be worth it, husband. I'm trying so  
hard..." the voice trailed off, until all was silent, save for the  
crashing of the storm.  
  
Another flash of lightning showed the girl to be asleep; her energy  
spent just trying to keep herself alive.  
  
The rocking of the boat was not at all gentle.  
  
--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--  
Translation Notes:  
Adzuki is a small, dried, red bean with a startlingly sweet flavor. It's  
rather popular over Asia as an ingredient in sweat desserts, either as a  
red bean paste filling for pastries and sweat breads, as a popsicle (the  
grossest way to eat it, in which it tastes sickeningly sweet, and  
nothing like it does in mochi), or in some other way that I haven't yet  
tasted.  
  
Airen means something along the lines of husband/love/fiancée, or so I'm  
assuming from it's usage in the anime.  
  
Futsuu-shu means something around 'normal sake'. It is by definition low  
quality, and has large portions of alcohol added post brewing. Finer  
sake is made from polished rice (the outside is ground away leaving only  
the core starches), and less or no alcohol added, and even then only for  
brewing purposes.  
  
Non-Standard excuse for not writing #1:  
I'm sorry I haven't written in a two or three months, but really, I have  
a fair excuse (Yeah, right!). I was out of the country, in China. I was  
able to get many things accomplished while there, but writing fanfics,  
no matter how much I'm beginning to love writing this one, was not on my  
list of priorities. Rest assured that I will write more, the only  
question is when I will write it. Now, I'm sure you have something  
better to do with your life than to read my excuses, so go do it.  
--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--+--  
End Chapter 2, posted Sunday, September 15 2002 @ 7:20 PST 


End file.
